Display trays



Nov. 27, 1956 D. A. EISELE DISPLAY TRAYS Filed Dec. 12, 1955 i g 4 i lm llh.

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United States Patent DISPLAY TRAYS Delbert A. Eisele, Lawrence, Kans.

Application December 12, 1955, Serial No. 552,496

6 Claims. (Cl. 206-75) This invention relates to display trays, and more particularly to display trays for wrist watch bands.

The object of the invention is to provide a light-weight, attractive, durable, and easy-to-manufacture tray for holding and displaying expansible mens and womens metal watch bands in retail jewelry stores.

In general the display tray of this invention comprises a substantially open, rectangular tray in which a number of individual display channels are removably nested with an individual mans or womans expansible metal Wrist watch band mounted removably in each of said channels. The channels are held in place in the tray under a fixed lip along one edge of the tray, and under a spring-hinged or pivoted lip along the other edge of the tray. Watch bands are held in the channels on wrist watch spring-bars mounted near opposite ends of the channels, with the spring-bars (or one of them) movable lengthwise of the channels so as to accommodate watch bands of various lengths. Provision is also made, by means of the dimensional relationship between the channels and the tray, for public display of the price of each watch band as well as for secret notation of the codeand key letters of each watch band which facilitates inventory control by the jeweler. The floor of each channel is covered with velvet, and the whole display is light-weight, easy-tomanufacture, easy to handle and store, and is organized so as to provide a most attractive display of watch bands in retail jewelry stores.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations, features of construction, and arrangement of parts which are illustrated in the preferred form hereinafter described, with the scope of the invention limited in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a display tray of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper left-hand corner of the tray of Fig. 1, showing parts broken apart;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line Ill-HI of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on line IV--IV of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on line VV :of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the display tray of this invention is shown, in a preferred form, to comprise an open rectangular tray generally designated 1 having a continuous floor 2, and side walls 3 integral with the floor. Along one end of the floor and integral therewith is an end wall 4. The end wall 4 has a clamp or lip 5 integral therewith and extending downwardly toward the floor of the tray.

That edge of the floor 2 opposite the wall 4 is serrated as shown in Fig. 2 so as to provide spaced tongues 6 which are curled upwardly from the floor. A brace strap 7 of substantially the same length as the tray 1 is serrated at its lower edge as shown in Fig. 2 so as to provide spaced curled tongues 8 to fit in the serrations and between the tongues 6 on the edge of the floor 2. In assembly, with the curled tongues 6 and 8 aligned on centers, a pivot bar 9 passes through the curled tongues 6 and 8 so that the strap 7 is pivotably attached to the floor 2. Fig. 3 shows the strap 7 in normal position in solid lines and in pivoted-out position in dotted lines.

That edge of the strap 7 opposite the tongues 8 has a downwardly and inwardly extended clamp lip 10 which, when the strap 7 is in position normal to the floor 2,

0 extends downwardly over the floor 2 with the outer edge 11 of the lip 16 lying slightly beneath the upper edges of the side walls 3. The strap 7 is held in this position by means of annular springs 12 (only one of which is shown) wrapped around the bar 9, each of said springs 12 having an arm 13 lying along the outside of the floor 2 and an arm 14 along the outside of the strap 7. By this means the strap '7 is pressed against the end edges of walls 3 and is held in upright position normal to the floor 2. The ends of arms 13 and 14 are preferably embedded in the floor 2 and strap 7 as at holes 15 and 16, respectively, so as to prevent scratching or catching.

Display channels 17, each comprising a deck 18 and edge walls 19, lie nested on the floor 2, extending lengthwise between end wall 4 and strap 7. The channels 17 are held removably in the tray 1 under the fixed lip 5 and the pivoted lip 15, which said lips overlie and clamp said channels in the tray. Near one end of each channel 17 (preferably near that end of the channel which lies under the pivoted lip 15) is an ordinary watch band springbar 21 removably mounted in a pair of aligned holes 21 in the channel edge walls 19. Spaced away from the holes 21 and near the opposite end of each channel 17, is a series of pairs of aligned holes 22 in opposite channel edge walls 19. Another ordinary spring-bar 23 is removably mounted in any one of the pairs of holes 22 and the position of said spring-bar 23 may be adjusted lengthwise of the channel 17 by mounting in difierent pairs of holes 22.

An ordinary wrist Watch band may be mounted for display on the spring-bars 2i) and 23 in the channel 17 (see Fig. l). Dififerent lengths of watch bands may be ac commodated in the channel by reason of the fact that the position of spring-bar 23 is adjustable lengthwise of the channel.

In a preferred form of the invention, the deck 18 of each channel 17 is covered (up to the spring-bar 20) with velvet (indicated at 24; see Fig. 4). The velvet protects the watch bands from direct contact with the (preferably) metal of the channel deck 18. Said velvet also serves the purpose of lending a rich and luxurious air and appearance to the entire display.

Referring now especially to Fig. 1, it will be observed that the dimensional relationship between the channels 17 and the tray is such as to provide space for public display of the price, and for secret notation of the code and key letters, of each watch band. That is to say, the fixed spring-bar 20 is spaced away from the edge 11 of pivoted lip 14), and the velvet 24 terminates at the springbar 29, so that a bare and open area of the channel deck 18 is exposed to public view. A neat and attractive price mark as at 25 may be made in this open area.

At the same time, that area of the channel deck 15 which lies under the lip 10 is hidden from public View and may be used by the jeweler to note the code and key letters of the watch band mounted in the channel, thereby facilitating the jewelers inventory control. it will be recognized that the jeweler will have easy and immediate access to the code and key letters by simply swinging back the pivoted lip 10.

One additional feature that adds to the utility of the invention is provision of a velvet covering as at 26 (see Fig. 3) over the entire outer, or bottom, surface of the bands are removably held on these hooks tray floor}. Thus, when a piurality of trays l, are stacked on top of each other, there is no danger of scratching or catching. Similarly, when a tray 3 is set on a glass counter or case top in a jewelry store, there is no danger of scratching'or'catching or of the making of any distracting squealring or other noise.

Referring to Figsii and 5, hooks may be provided for use in combination with the invention, each of said hooks comprising a loop 27 removably mounted on the spring-bars 29 and 23, and an upwardly curling hook 28; The loops ordinarily found at the end of i 5 watch It should be noted that the width of the tray 1, i'. e., between the side walls 3, must be such as'to accommodate an even whole number of channels 17', be the channels wide (for displaying mens watch bands) or narrow (for womens Watch bands). While this aspect'of the display tray is not susceptible of exact description withoutgoing into dimensions, and While an engineer or mechanic would be able to construct the device with this 1 in mind, it is nevertheless true that precision in this matobjects of the invention are achieved, and other advantageous results obtained.

I claim: 1. A wrist watch'band display tray comprising in combination a substantially open rectangular tray, long narrow d-i-splay channels nesting removably in said tray and extending lengthwise thereof, each of said channels having near each end thereof a wrist watch band spring-bar,

one of said spring-bars being adjustable lengthwise of said channel; said tray having a fixed lip along one edge thereof overlying and clamping said channels; said tray having a pivoted lip at the other end thereof overlying and holding said channels, and'spring actuated means to force said pivoted lip into overlying holding posit-ion relative to said channels.

2, A wrist watch band display may as claimed in of said spring-bars in each'of said channels being adjustable lengthwise of said channel:

3. An elongated display channel for displaying vwrist 7 watch bands, said channel having near one end thereof a wrist watch band spring-bar removably mounted there-,

on, and, near the opposite end of said channel, a wrist 'watch band spring-bar removably mounted thereon, one

of said spring-bars. being'adjustable lengthwise of said channel.

4. Anelongated display channel as claimed claim 3,

both of said spring-bars in said channel having removably mounted thereon a hook, said hooks normally lying in opposed relationship to each other with their respective hook openings facing upwardly away from said tray.

5. A wrist watch band display channel comprising an elongated narrow deck, edge'w'alls fixed upon and extend-' ing upwardly from said deck, a wrist watch band springbar removably mounted in saidedge walls near one end of said channel normal to the axis of said channel and spaced away from and parallel to said deck, and a wrist watch band spring-bar similarly mounted near the opposite end ofsaid channel, said last named spring-bar being adjustable along the axis of said channel. V

6. A wrist Watch band display'channel as claimedin claim 5, the'deck of said channel being covered with fabric from said first named spring-bar to the end of the channel farthest away therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Bow n ..,...'.;.d Nov. 26, 1940' 

